Obscure Old Tales

Chapter 4: The Hunter's Mark

A young man had made his way all up to the palace, no one even wondered to ask where he had come, however there was a tint of danger in every step he had taken to walk up to the imperial realm of their majesty. He caught a glimpse of the many staff members and service droids, he understood from afar that the Von Erthal's Palazzo was a massive compound, up close and personal, it was so much more than just that.

Scientists, engineers, and chefs amok. Guards every here and there, as for the knights, he could count them with his fingers it would take a while, but he could take them down, while butlers were scarce, he assumed there may be one on every tower.

The palace housed them, the palace fed them, they owed security to the kingdom, they were expected to respond to the people, each were accompanied by their own droids according to their line of work, but each had a red light on their display projectors, always recording what they had done, who they had seen and were they had been.

To take down the palace, one would first have to take care of the droids, then the guards, then the king, still he thought he could do it.

Before he knew it the doors opened for him.

Light poured in a cascade from enormous windows behind the royal desk, beyond them the visage of the forest, the hills, the nearby city of Belon, the sky clear, perfect. The man on the desk busy filling in a set of papers. At first glance he seemed young, poised; pristine skin rich almond in color, his cascade of curls and locks fell to his shoulder's length, his eyes piercing brown like chocolate, he expected someone with more charm, instead he found a creature of bird-like...

"Your grace"

Shajae bowed, her gold earrings and chains clunked with one another as she reincorporated, behind them the scouting droids bowed, while he did not.

He had never met a server of the Nevermoorian Crown that had not come from within the realm, her words jumbled into his ears, soft cadence almost unrecognizable. She was Alg'rabian, but he could not pinpoint an exact location for the accent.

"May I present Achilles..." she paused trying to read his name, she turned to him scanning from head to toe "Yemilnez, he has some business to attend with..."

"Of course."

The king stood up.

"Shajae Close the door behind you when you leave."

The monarch's voice simple yet melodic, he had to be raised the kingdom.

Shajae bowed, displeased while signaling the guards to leave the room.

"As you wish."

She sashayed away after all of them, her heels clunk on the marble floor at every step and sealed the access once she left.

"Please take a seat."

The man obeyed and walked to the desk's guest's armchairs.

The hunter sitting before Raeb had strawberry blonde hair, had eyes deep like the sea, so deep anyone could drown in, he had thinly sparce facial hair, darker tips narrowly could be seen by an incautious eye. His build seemed lean yet big; he knew the man would have built some muscle if he ought to survive far in the north.

He was clad in deep blue; he wore the distinctive vest of a hunter underneath a navy-blue leather sleeveless hoodie with a particular insignia. He could see straps and buckles that were an ergonomic design he had recognized for sure from the ice queen's men, on his back there was no weapon, he would've noticed by the sound of him sitting, instead his gaze drowned the king in unadulterated attention.

A boy like the one sitting at Raeb's desk may have been the type he would've dream of having in a happily ever after, but that had been so long, and his interests laid somewhere else at the moment.